Attoiney



(Model.)

W E. TINNEY. V 'I Telegraphio Key or Iran'smitte?.` No. 239,270. Patented March 22, |881.

IN VENTOR' ATTGRNEY i WITNESSES s UNITED STATES] PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. TINNEY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TELEGRAPHIC KEY OR TRANSMITTER.

SPECILFICATIONv forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,270, dated March22, 1881.

Application led October 1, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ESSEX TIN- NEY, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Telegraphic Keys or Transmitters, of which the following is a specication.

The object of my invention is to save labor in sending telegraphic matter, secure greater rapidity in sending, also to make a key or transmitter which can be used by other than skilled operators. This I accomplish by constructing the tele-graphic letters, figures, and other characters of metal points separated by insulated material, the said metal points or blocks which represent the dots being, say, one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness, and those whichrepresent the dashes, say, three-sixteenthsthick. The spaces, which are of glass or other insulating material, are of about the same thickness as the dots. These are arranged in combination with each other in the order of the dots, spaces, and dashes required to form the various letters, gures, and other characters in use, each letter or character being separate and apart from the others, but all connected to one wire.

The invention consists in keys proper, which are placed in proper relation to the above-described keys, and are armed with the usual metal points. Said keys are connected with the other wire, and capable of lateral and lon gitudinal motions, so that when pressed upon the metal point will advance to and press upon the face of the lett-er above the rst metal block, and as the pressure is continued it is moved longitudinally over the face of the letter, and thus successively comes in contact with the metal points and insulated material rep- 40 resenting the dots, spaces, and dashes, as may be required to form any telegraphic character. When the pressure is removed the metal point of the key proper leaves the face of the letter, and the key moves back to its original position, thereby preventing an inverse repetition of the letter.

The invention is shown in detail in the drawings forming a part of this specification, in which all similar` letters of reference indicate 5o like' parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a front view of two of the let ters, A B, and their respective keys. Fig. 2 is an end view of the saine. Fig.

3 is a vertical section of one of the letters, showing the metal blocks and insulating material arranged in proper order to give the letter H,

A is the key proper, constructed in two parts-z'. e., of an arm hinged to the top of a movable shaft. B is said shaft. It moves 6o longitudinally in its case B', being guided by the small arms d, which project from its sidesjust below its top or head, and slide in slots h of the case B', also by the lower end passing through a hole in the bottom of said case. E is a spiral spring, which is coiled around shaft B, its lower end bearing on the bottom of the case and its top bearing against the under side of the guide-arms d.

The arm C may be described as consisting 7o of a body, which at one end hinges to the top of the shaft B, a being the pivot of the hinge.

This body projects outwardly at a right angle to shaft B, and from it projects upward a short shaft, which is armed with-the linger-knob l). 7 5 The body then curves down and forms the arm proper, which is about one-half the length of shaft B, with which it is parallel, and about ve-eighths of an inch from it. At the lower end this arm curves to one side about one- 8.. fourth of an inch, and near its termination is armed with the usual metal point b.

c is a spring, which takes bearing on the lower end ofthe arm and holds it out from the shaft B.

H is a metallic case, open at front and back, and provided with a set-screw, t', at its top.

In this case are placed the metal blocks and insulating material required to form the desired letter. Thus, for the letter A there is first 9o placed a piece of glass one-eighth inch thick, then metal three-sixteenths of an inch thick, then glass one-sixteenth of an inch thick, then one-sixteenth of an inch of metal, and the-remaining space filled with insulating material. The set-screw t' being screwed down binds all together. The face of the letter is then ground oft' even and smooth, as shown in Fig. 3. e e

e c are the insulating-blocks, (spaces,) and f f ff are the metal blocks, (dots fand dashes.) roo It will be understood that said metal blocks should be in connection with the sides of the case H, Whichin turn is connected to one of the line-Wires, while the key C is in connection with the other. A series of these keys and letters are then arranged on a common base in such number as to give one key for each letter orcharacter required in telegraphy, the key-board of the complete apparatus being similar in appearance to the Remington typewriter.

Operation On pressing on the knob ot` the letter A the point b on the lower end of the arin Cv advances to and presses on theinsnlating material just below the top ot' case H, then descends, sliding over the face ot' the letter. The shaftB moving down compresses the spiral yspring E. When the point b has arrived at the end of the letter the pressure is removed, and the spring c throws the said point away from the letter, and the spiral spring E raises -the key A to its original position.

'blocks by a, spring on its upward movement,

in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM ESSEX TINNEY.

WVitnesses:

WM. M. GUTHBERT, JAMES H. HANDY. 

